Sudden dental issues/lack of saliva
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I went to the dentist today. I have cavities and weak enamel close to my gums on my upper teeth. I need the cavities repaired.
I have white sticky spots as the dentist calls it. She also noticed I have very little saliva production which is likely the cause. She asked if I feel dehydrated I’m not sure about that. I am never thirsty so I can probably drink more.
I did start to take cynomel about 9 months ago. Can this be the culprit ?
This is a sudden change since I never had this problem so it must be something I do.I’m throwing it out here since someone might have some suggestions. I am a bit down from hearing this.
I will do a search on this forum as wellFemale 60 y/old
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@happyhanneke said in Sudden dental issues/lack of saliva:
I have white sticky spots as the dentist calls it.
These are current/recent decalcifications afaik. Maybe get some Tooth Mousse on your teeth before going to bed or rub on some calcium carbonate at the very least (also after meals or after fruit juice). Do measure your morning saliva pH.
Iodide, which many people strongly oppose for whatever reasoning, can markedly increase saliva and also boost its antibacterial function by hypoiodite. -
@CrumblingCookie
Thanks. I happen to have all these things. I was also advised xylitol.
I am just really curious if is related to cynomel use. I have not changed anything in my lifestyle and this is the first time for me to have cavities like that. -
@happyhanneke said in Sudden dental issues/lack of saliva:
I did start to take cynomel about 9 months ago. Can this be the culprit ?
Female 60 y/oldHas the cynomel optimized your temps, pulse rate and other thyroid markers? If anything, cynomel should improve oral health when hypothyroid. Did your dentist discuss with you the changes in oral health that commonly occur during and post menopause? Given your age and the fact that this is a new development, I’m wondering if it’s a contributing factor?
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@Jennifer yes. I am post-menopausal for 5 years now. I have not had dental issues before. I really cannot think of anything that I do differently.
The cynomel has mostly helped my with having less heart palpitations. I've had them since I am in my teenage years.
Cynomel has also increased my heart rate, especially when I started. My temps were mostly always in a pretty good range. I don't think it has changed much.
My blood work improved too. -
@happyhanneke, not what you’re doing differently, but any changes with your progesterone, estrogen and prolactin levels, digestion and/or…I know you mentioned having less palpitations, but any increase in stress? I checked Ray’s email exchanges addressing dental health so I’ll post them below, but I’ll go through his radio interviews tomorrow to see if he mentioned anything else:
[Dental health] Stress weakens teeth from the inside, drawing mineral from the dentine; the dentine is the part that can regenerate, not the enamel. Thyroid function is the most important thing for limiting stress.
Stress typically causes calcium to be removed from the small channels in the dentine, and it tends to be unequal, resulting in spots of discoloration in some teeth, that can develop into cavities. Thyroid is the most important antistress hormone as well as influencing the saliva and immunity.
Intestinal inflammation is often behind recurrent tooth infections, and a daily raw carrot can make a big difference (along with avoiding legumes, undercooked starches and raw or undercooked vegetables).
I use baking soda, and I rinse my mouth after having sugar, orange juice, etc. The quality of the saliva, regulated mainly by the thyroid hormone, is the main factor in dental health. My newsletter on osteoporosis mentioned some of the studies on thyroid, estrogen, and tooth decay.
[Tongue, teeth, gum problems] There are some strong nervous and circulatory interactions between the intestine and the mouth, affecting surfaces and periodontal health, tooth sensitivity, etc. I knew a dentist who stopped doing periodontal surgery when he found that his patients were more easily cured with a laxative. Camphoric acid has been used as an intestinal disinfectant to remedy problems such as coated or sore tongue or bad breath. The tetracyclines have similar effects. Vitamins D and K are important.
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@happyhanneke - I am wondering if you mouth is dry when you wake up in the morning.
The chamomile tea gives my dry mouth. I have to stay away from tea because the negative consequences. Chamomile is known as a mast cell stabaliser so it can act as an antihistamine. I know antihistamines can cause dry mouth. I've heard Ray talk about less saliva at night while using cyproheptadine.
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@happyhanneke, I searched through Ray’s radio interviews addressing cavities and all I’m finding for potential causes are low thyroid, excess estrogen, stress, poor digestion and poor saliva production. Some examples:
Question: We've got another question here on dental health. Question about there's a lot of people who recommend eliminating sucrose, fructose, and most fruits when people have dental ailments. And on the other side of it, you know, you talk about increasing, you know, carbohydrates, you know, for cell metabolism, et cetera. Can you elaborate a little bit on that, why there's so much conflicting information on that, and what contributes to dental issues?
Ray Peat: I saw a recent article on dental health in Sweden, and they saw that during the time that cavities have decreased radically, sugar, candy, and soft drink consumption had actually increased, and they couldn't account for why the teeth were healthier while they were -- the basic diet hadn't changed so much, but had increased in the supposedly cavity-causing snack foods. And in my sugar article, I mention some of the old studies in which they modified the thyroid or estrogen and found that increased estrogen increased the dental decay, increased thyroid reduced the dental decay. And one whole line of dental research has shown that stress will very quickly cause an outbreak of cavities. And mainline dentistry just thinks in terms of germ growth in the mouth and completely neglects the chemical and immunological function of the saliva. I think the saliva is the mediator of stress.
https://bioenergetic.life/transcripts/88db6?t=4785&c=109
Question: Now, do you think that a lot of our digestive distress is from a kind of a society of sitting?
Ray Peat: Yeah, definitely. Everyone who takes up the habit of walking for an hour or so a day notices improved digestion. The general sense of well-being is largely because of the improved movement of the intestinal muscles but also improved secretions. Feeling good and relaxing and moving around reduces the nervous tension and that increases the secretions. You can see it even in saliva. When you're very anxious, your mouth tends to go dry because of the shift from one part of the nervous system to the other shuts off secretions starting in the mouth but affecting all the way down.
Question: Yeah, so there is kind of a north to south process, right? So, would you say that the saliva is just as important as the stomach acid? I mean, as it starts there and it works down to the stomach acid and then the CCK and all the different secretions that happen from the pancreas and the liver. Is it pretty important to start with the fundamentals like keeping a good cephalic head phase of digestion going as well as good adequate stomach acid?
Ray Peat: Oh yeah, anyone who has taken a drug that shuts down saliva production has generally had an outbreak of cavities. The anti-cholinergic drugs and some of the anti-histamines reduce the production of saliva so much that it's not just the drying of the lower quantity of saliva but the composition changes chemically. Instead of washing away and inactivating bacteria and their products, it tends to favor their growth. So, you can see it as increased deposits on the teeth but especially in the extremely fast development of cavities when the mouth is dry.
